Tuxedo Style Report: Best Dressed Men of the 2013 Oscars!

By: Michael Armstrong

Holy cow. Those were the first two words that came to mind after the 2013 Oscars had wrapped. This whole awards season has been strung together by event after event, each trending a little more formal than the last. But the 2013 Oscar’s really took the formal trend to a whole new level. In fact, (and taking nothing away from their talent) just by excluding Director Quentin Tarantino and possibly Jamie Foxx from the sartorial circle, I’d say that this year’s Academy Awards ceremony was the most dapper in recent memory.

Big name celebrities were in rare form as they embraced not only the tradition of black tie attire, but also the art form of careful formal interpretation. We saw turn-down collars and wing tip collars. We saw tons of shawl lapels, as well as peak lapels and increasingly formal notch lapels. We saw both single breasted coats and double breasted coats. We saw classic black and midnight blue. We saw cummerbunds and waist coats. And for the most part, the Hollywood crowd got it right. While some honest efforts, like Director Ben Affleck, could have used some more attention to detail, the over arching impression that the evening left was one of tasteful discretion and a modern interpretation on timeless class.

Featured below is our quick list of a few of our favorites in various categories:

Best Midnight Blue:

Runner up: Christophe Waltz
Winner: Daniel Day Lewis

Christophe Waltz opted for a smart midnight blue tuxedo with midnight shawl collar. Because of his attention to detail, impeccable fit, and spot of proportions, he earns our runner up for best midnight blue of the evening!

Daniel Day Lewis is definitely the man of the hour. Again. Not only is he the first actor EVER to receive 3 Best Actor Oscars, but he’s also our pick for Best Midnight Blue Tuxedo of the evening! Arguably, the best dressed, period.

Best Bow Tie:

Winner: Tommy Lee Jones

There are a lot of things that a good bow tie should be, and a lot of things a good bow tie should do. Tommy Lee Jones donned a shining example of one at the 2013 Oscars. Nicely proportioned, sharp, and draws attention to his awesome beard. Well played.

Best Double Breasted Jacket:

Runner Up: Hugh Jackman
Winner: Chris Pine

Hugh Jackman may not know how to dress badly. In fact, I think of the celebrities out there that dress badly, he’s probably the worst at dressing badly. He always just looks so darn dapper. And so it’s no surprise that he’s done it again with his nicely fit double breasted number. Easily among the nicest ensembles of the evening.

Earlier we mentioned that Daniel Day Lewis was arguably the Best Dressed Man at the 2013 Oscars. But, it’s Chris Pines impeccable tailoring and spot on interpretation of Black Tie that raises any question at all. Sometimes double breasted jackets can look bulky. But for our new Captain Kirk, there is no such thing as a no-win scenario.

Best Shawl Collar:

Winner: Bryan Cranston

While it’s been pointed out that Bryan Cranston always looks nice at Black Tie awards ceremonies, he never makes the best dressed lists because he tends to blend in. Well, this time we’re ruining that streak. His minimal and just exactly wide enough shawl collar and attention to detail win him our respect and the award for Best Shawl Collar of the evening. Sorry to blow your cover, Dr. White.

Best Peak Lapels:

Winner: Bradley Cooper

Bradley Cooper is a nice looking guy with strong features. And so it’s especially fitting for him that his tuxedo is also a nice looking one with strong features. Namely, the prominent peak lapels. On someone else, lapels that size might seem overpowering or over compensating, but on him it works perfectly.

Best Notch Lapels:

Runner Up: George Clooney
Winner: Seth McFarlane

George Clooney’s trademark has long been making the most of the generally more pedestrian look of a notch lapel jacket with 2 front buttons. He’s an expert at owning the look and making it look almost regal. So it’s no surprise that he makes this list. What IS a surprise is who did it better…

Nobody knew what to expect from this first time host of the Oscars. But as his tuxedo might suggest, Seth McFarlane handled the evening with a lot of charm. While notch lapels aren’t usually as formal as peaks or shawls, we’re calling this one an exception.

Best Waist Covering:

Winner: Daniel Radcliffe

If there’s one thing that Daniel Radcliffe is good at, it’s pretending to cast spells and take on really bad wizards. But if there are two things he’s good at, it’s dressing to the nines like a champ. His attention to detail is always impressive, and he gets props from us for his perfect and classic incorporation of a cummerbund.

Best Pant Hemming (and Best Footwear)

Winner: Eddie Redmayne

While we do wish Eddie Redmayne had taken a hint from Radcliffe and incorporated a cummerbund to kill that little white triangle around his belly button, he earns kudos for getting everything else right. And among those, nobody hemmed their trousers any better than he did, and that only serves to draw attention to his ever suave velvet slippers. It doesn’t get much classier.

Best Kilt:

Winner: Mark Andrews

There’s nothing much more to say here that you don’t get from the picture. Responsible for the movie “The Brave”, Mark Andrews takes the stage in a kilt. And we think that’s awesome. Good job, laddie.

To see more fun and informative galleries of the 2013 Academy Awards best and worst, check out these articles below:

Michael Armstrong is the resident staff writer for MyTuxedoCatalog.com, the web’s premiere resource for mens rental formal wear styles, news & information, and local listings. He aims to provide the most up to date industry and style information available, while sharing the many venues and ways that mens formal wear presents itself every day. Michael would like to take this opportunity to wish joy to the world, to all the boys and girls now. He’d also like to extend joy to the fishes in the deep blue sea, but especially, joy to you and me.